Sophie Peirce-Evans : Short Biography

The extraordinary life of Sophie Peirce-Evans reads like complete fiction, but the story of this remarkable woman's life is anything but. 

Sophie Peirce-Evans, also known as Lady Mary Heath, was born in Knockaderry, in the civil parish of Clonelty Co. Limerick on the 10th of November 1896. Her mother, Kate Theresa Doolin was a housekeeper who married the nephew of her employer, a man named John Peirce-Evans. Sophie's father was, by all accounts, a violent alcoholic, and when Sophie was just 13 months old, he brutally murdered her mother by bludgeoning her to death with a heavy stick. Sophie was found by a neighbour sitting on the kitchen floor next to her lifeless mother. Her father was found guilty of the murder and declared insane by the courts. Sophie was then sent to live with her grandfather in Newcastle West, Co. Limerick. 

Throughout her school years Sophie displayed an aptitude for several sports, and though she was discouraged from pursuing this by her maiden aunts, she found that she had a great talent for hockey and tennis. Sophie was one of the few women of her time to attend the Royal College of Science in Dublin. She specialised in agriculture and graduated with a top-class degree, even though she had to put her studies on hold for two years which she worked as a dispatch rider during World War I. It was while studying in Dublin that she married her first husband, Captain William Davies Eliott-Lynn.

After completing her studies, Sophie moved to Aberdeen, Scotland, and then on to London in 1922. During her time in Britain, Sophie developed a name for herself as an accomplished athlete. She won medals and broke records in high jump and javelin events. She was instrumental in the foundation of the Women's Amateur Athletic Association and was also a relentless campaigner for the inclusion of women's events in the Olympic games. 

In August 1925, Sophie joined the London Aeroplane Club. The club was in its infancy at the time, with Sophie being one of the first members. There she took flying lessons, eventually earning her license in November of the same year. The previous year, women had been banned from operating commercial aircraft, as the International Commission for Air Navigation had deemed menstruation to be a disability. Sophie was determined to win her case against the commission and was relentless in her pursuit of a commercial license. She finally succeeded and in becoming the first woman in Britain or Ireland to fly planes commercially. 

By now Sophie was divorced from her first husband, and after his death in 1927, she sought to marry a man whose wealth would allow her to pursue her ambition for aviation. She made a list of wealthy bachelors and soon married Sir James Heath, a man who was 45 years older than her. It was through this marriage that she gained the title, Lady Heath, though she was often referred to as Lady Mary Heath. 

On the 5th of January 1929, Lady Heath set off on a journey that would earn her fame around the world. She flew from her avro avian, a small open-cockpit plane, from Cape Town to London, a journey which took her until the 18th of May. She was the first person, regardless of gender, to attempt the harrowing trip. After this amazing feat, her name was known everywhere. Her journey made the front page news all over the world. In America they called her 'Lady Lindy', a nod to the famous Charles Lindberg. She became a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, joining the ranks of famous explorers. Lady Heath became one of the most famous women in the world. She made guest appearances at air shows, giving rides to her adoring fans. She was offered a position in America teaching proper flight safety. She gave her beloved avro avian to Amelia Earhart to take across the Atlantic following behind her to begin her career in safety promotion. 

In August 1929, Lady Heath suffered a career-ending injury when her plane crash landed at an air show in Cleveland. She fractured her skull and broke her nose, as well as a number of internal injuries. Though she made a full recovery, she would never fly again. A year later she divorced Lord Heath and went on to marry her third and final husband, Reginald "Jack" Williams. The pair returned to Ireland where they lived in Dublin. There she started her own aviation company as well as a school for young pilots which laid the foundations for the Irish airline Aer Lingus. 

On the 9th of May 1849, Sophie died after falling from the top floor of a London two-storey tram car and hitting her head. Though there was some speculation at the time that her fondness for alcohol had contributed to her death, the post-mortem report showed that there was no alcohol in her system and instead that she had died as the result of an old blood clot. She was 42 years old. 

A scale model of Sophie's famous avro avian can be seen in The Little Museum of Dublin.